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I missed writing yesterday’s weekly update because I was wiped from the activities over the past week. A lot has gone on this week. But this is a good thing.

Now that my eating is back on track I decided to volunteer with a data analysis project which involved sitting at a desk and inputting numbers into a computer. It may seem mundane to some but it was great. Sadly, I cannot return to my regular job so this was the next best thing to help occupy my time for the week. I thought it was a good project to volunteer for because it wasn’t physically demanding and allowed me to eat all day. Also, it would be like a trial run of what it will be like when I return to my regular job in terms of food prep.

I would wake up in the morning and assemble my food for my six hour day. Doing some quick mental math that means I need to eat at least three times during that period. I used to be able to wake up and get out the door in 30 minutes flat. Now I must add another 30 minutes to eat and 30 to prep my meals. I was able to get out the door in an hour and a half after waking (although I think in the future, I will prep my meals the night before). Here is an example of what I brought.

In the glass bowl is the “Sweet Potato Power” from No Stomach for Cancer webpage. I also added protein powder to it to give it some extra calories. The granola bar is homemade from the “Oh She Glows” Cookbook that a family friend recommended for me. In the mini-thermos is a smoothie packed with calories. I drink at least one smoothie a day and pack it with 400-500 kcal. Finally, you can’t forget the cashews. If I eat a 1/4 cup of cashews it is equivalent to 320 kcal. So here you have a total of about 1,200 kcal for half the day. Amazing.

** On a side note, I am thirsty often. However, it’s not recommended you drink 30-60 minutes before or after a meal and definitely not with a meal. So I often have to make a choice to have liquid or food and if I choose liquid, it’s like one lost meal for the day because juice water is the most thirst quenching. It’s a tough thing to balance right now **

I ate the entire time I was at the desk and this week I did not lose any weight! Oh and speaking of calories, I have learned that Costco’s poutine has a whopping 1290kcal per 1 cup. Good for us stomachless people, bad for the rest of the world.

As the week went on, I became progressively more fatigued and by Thursday, I had to call it quits midway through the day. My brain clocked out, my body was overall fatigued, and I was wiped. All and all, I was able to put in 24 hours of work over 4 days which isn’t too shabby. I forgot how much energy it takes just to sit up. I remember it took me two days in the hospital before I was able to sit up and I was only able to stay up for 45 minutes before I needed to have a nap. I have come a LOONNGG way. This week was a good wake up call for when I return to my regular work. I don’t sit all day and I am constantly moving – it will be the true test to the caloric intake versus energy expenditure.

I visited my family doctor last week to discuss the issue of contraception as well as get a requisition for my monthly blood work. We all know that I don’t need to have an ‘accident’ right now. After some discussion, I was recommended to start the birth control patch vs. oral because we aren’t sure about absorbancy with the oral pill. She also told me to start iron since I was showing signs of anemia from my blood work last month. As I left the office, I started to think, “Is hormonal contraception the route to go for me because of CDH1 and my increased risk of breast cancer?”. So I contacted my genetic counselor who then contacted a high risk breast cancer center. We learned that the risk is little for me and hormonal birth control. Yay! But my counselor and I both learned that I should start annual MRI’s to screen for breast cancer. Up until now she thought 35 but Ontario starts at 30, so we all learned something new. Again, everything for a reason! So I will now start screening for breast cancer.

Let’s talk incision. My incisional pulling has much reduced. Yahoo! I don’t feel my incision at all when I am sitting or lying. I am able to roll left and right in bed now. I have a lot of pulling after I eat and if I eat a lot, I am unable to stand straight afterwards until some food digests. I continue to have numbness along the lower portion of my incision but I can now feel above it. I still have the circle of numbness to the left of my navel. I have less sharp pains along the incision that I had two weeks ago. I get massive bloating after having milk so I have switched to lactose free milk and that has solved the issue. Oh and for some odd reason, my backne (back acne) that I have had since I was a teenage is gone. I’ll take it!

I am now one week and two days post stricture dilation. The doctor said the stricture would stretch out and then likely constrict again. This is why I need to go 2-3 more times. By Wednesday, I hadn’t heard from the office to book me for my next appointment so I decided to call the office. I really don’t want to go back to the way I was two weeks ago. The admin said they did not receive orders from the doctor to book me again although he told me personally that he would book me again in 2-3 weeks but because he was going on vacation next week for a month and would ask his colleague to perform the dilation. She said she would have to check with the surgeon and get back to me. No response on Wednesday. I called back Thursday and left a voice mail hoping that the surgeon put the orders in so I could be booked. No response Thursday. Nothing on Friday. I am hoping that I will hear from them next week for my appointment. Over the past two days, I can feel the gurgle is returning and the food isn’t going down as well as it used to…it is scary but I remain positive though and I keep eating as much as I physically can!

I am following up with my surgeon this week because I have not seen her since I had my stricture dilated. If I have not heard from the other office by then, I know that her office will put pressure on them because she takes great care of her patients and pride in her work and she would not let this go on.

So lots to blog about this week! Sorry it’s semi scattered, I wanted to talk about a lot and I am still recovering from the weeks activities.

To end off, here are some pictures of me picking blueberries and raspberries earlier this week since the weather has been so great and it’s good rehab for me. Oh and a picture of my chocolate avocado smoothie with whipped cream on top.